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"Oh, Anita, you're so beautiful and sexy, you know that?" was the nicest terrible thing a random Twitter user said to Anita Sarkeesian, creator of the Tropes vs.Women in Video Games series, as he peppered her with threats of rape, death, and the address of her home and that of her parents following the posting of her latest video on Monday. The video, which would be right at home on PBS in tone if not content, suggested that many mainstream games represent women as accessories and shorthand rather than as humans, a viewpoint that generated swift and unrelenting rage.

The attack on Sarkeesian was among a number of incidents in the last few weeks that exposed some of the ugly (yet familiar) attitudes and prejudices that remain deeply ingrained in the gaming culture. This time, those sentiments have gotten tied up in ethical arguments in an attempt to highlight the toxic behavior.

A lie gets halfway around the world

The tide of abuse first surged over Zoe Quinn, creator of the game Depression Quest, who got a deluge of negative attention, abuse, threats, and harassment over a blog post written about her by an ex-boyfriend that was published August 16. The post, composed of narcissistic analysis mixed in with screenshots of several online conversations, exposed many personal details about Quinn irrelevant to her profession or professional conduct.

Details from the post were quickly spun into a conspiracy. Based on the lone fact of Quinn's relationship with one Kotaku writer, Nathan Grayson, who quoted her once in an article and never covered or reviewed her game, rumors circulated that Quinn had "alleged affairs with video game journalists" which influenced coverage of her game. There is no evidence to support this assertion, and the only fact that it's based on—that Quinn began a relationship with Grayson some time after he quoted her in an article and never published anything about her again—disproves it. The other two people named in the post are a sound designer and Quinn's boss, who do not work in gaming journalism.

Yet the accusations went on, along with doxxing and hacking of Quinn's information and accounts. The onslaught continued with assertions that Quinn made up the harassment, that she used devious womanly wiles to get her (free) game some coverage, and that she portrayed herself as a victim to receive donations. Around August 17, Phil Fish, the creator of Fez, tried to step in and defend Quinn. After he received pushback, Fish threatened to cancel unnamed projects.

Fish then said he had his Twitter and Dropbox accounts hacked and e-mail accounts, passwords, and banking information published in response to his defense. Fish shamed those who were attacking Quinn on his Twitter account: "All you people attacking Zoe are cowards. Attacking a woman the easiest way you can. Despicable cowards, all of you." Fish followed by announcing his Fez IP was for sale because he "want[ed] out" of the gaming industry.

Women as background decoration

Then came the vicious attacks on Sarkeesian and her video series, which looks at how women are portrayed and used in everything from AAA titles to indies. Sarkeesian published an installment Monday that was the second of two parts studying "women as background decoration" in games. The video includes examples from games like Watch Dogs, where the main character watches multiple instances of violent domestic abuse and, rather than take even a second look at the woman who suffers it, is required to amble off and track down the man who did it.

Sarkeesian's videos, which are extremely well-researched and insightful, always draw a measure of harassment and abuse from the stereotypical gamers, who are typically vitriolic toward issues of diversity. This time, the video reached all the way to the likes of Joss Whedon and Tim Schafer. The amplified message earned Sarkeesian an avalanche of threats, including rape, death, and harm to her family. Sarkeesian ultimately left her home and reported the threats to the police. "I’m safe. Authorities have been notified. Staying with friends tonight," she wrote on Twitter early Wednesday.

Enough outlets have, by now, highlighted the profound irony that one woman who dared point out some of the misogyny in video games was so deluged by misogynistic threats over how there is no misogyny in video games that she was driven into hiding. Quinn's story lacked entirely in irony; instead it was just a good old-fashioned example of a woman's personal life used to inflict professional damage, despite the fact that those two things are not related at all.

Many of the people slagging off Sarkeesian and Quinn bind their arguments up in bigger issues, saying that Quinn's situation shines light on ethical quandaries in games and gaming journalism, and Sarkeesian's illuminates crowd-funded "scams" where "social justice warriors" "cherry-pick" evidence to undermine the massive business and culture of video games, rightfully owned by a particular kind of white man.

All of the tertiary accusations against Quinn (that she invented attacks or abuse) are aimed to discredit her. The same goes for Sarkeesian: the structure and content of her videos are extremely common to critical analysis, as the New Statesmanpoints out. But when that style of criticism gets applied to video games, it feels like a threat to a certain insular, and extremely vocal, community for whom, as Leigh Alexander writes for Gamasutra, their "identity depends on the aging cultural signposts of a rapidly-evolving, increasingly broad and complex medium."

For gaming to be taken seriously as an art form, it needs to be able to stand up to cultural critiques, and gamers need to be able to separate a developer's personal life from her work. But it especially holds the medium back when these situations not only fail to play out in a civilized way, but become opportunistic embroiling of women in the "problems" of gaming culture, creation, and coverage.

It is, on a sad meta level, a real-life version of what Sarkeesian discusses in "Women As Background Decoration Part 2": women being treated as less-than, harassed and harangued out of the conversation, in service to a different, "bigger" problem. And every time it happens, it advances the goals of the most poisonous "gamers," while regressing everything else.

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Casey Johnston
Casey Johnston is the former Culture Editor at Ars Technica, and now does the occasional freelance story. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Applied Physics. Twitter@caseyjohnston

Gosh you mean someone posted someone's information on the internet when they didn't like their message? That so crazy! I have never heard of that happening to...wait...actually that happens to everyone who makes themselves a controversial public figure since the internet age.

Ars, I think attacking your main demographic for not sharing your notoriously left leaning opinions is a bad idea. But apparently we're just a bunch of ignorant sexist gamers. Insinuating that the posting of hate messages and private information is the result of gamers being morally decrepit is sophomoric. Any person, with some weight in the public arena, that publicly insults a group of people will face similar wrath on the internet...be they on the left, the right, or even a vegan.

Gosh you mean someone posted someone's information on the internet when they didn't like their message? That so crazy! I have never happening to...wait...actually that happens to everyone who makes themselves a controversial public figure since the internet age.

So, what is the "controversy" here? A woman making some comments about video games? Apparently that is such a controversial topic that it warrants threats of rape and murder. I don't know what is sadder here: the threats, or the fact that some people are so gung-ho about fucking video games that they tolerate no critique of them.

Quote:

Ars, I think attacking your main demographic for not sharing your notoriously left leaning opinions is a bad idea. But apparently we're just a bunch of ignorant sexist gamers. As if posting hate messages and private details is because they are gamers, is sophomoric. Any person with some weight in the public arena that publicly insults a group of people will face similar wrath on the internet...be they on the left, the right, or even a vegan.

"She should just keep her pretty little mouth shut, or face the consequences.". And who was Sarkeesian insulted? If she makes critical comments about video games, that's a mortal insult to gamers, warranting extreme harassment?

Gosh you mean someone posted someone's information on the internet when they didn't like their message? That so crazy! I have never happening to...wait...actually that happens to everyone who makes themselves a controversial public figure since the internet age.

So, what is the "controversy" here? A woman making some comments about video games? Apparently that is such a controversial topic that it warrants threats of rape and murder. I don't know what is sadder here: the threats, or the fact that some people are so gung-ho about fucking video games that they tolerate no critique of them.

Quote:

Ars, I think attacking your main demographic for not sharing your notoriously left leaning opinions is a bad idea. But apparently we're just a bunch of ignorant sexist gamers. As if posting hate messages and private details is because they are gamers, is sophomoric. Any person with some weight in the public arena that publicly insults a group of people will face similar wrath on the internet...be they on the left, the right, or even a vegan.

"She should just keep her pretty little mouth shut, or face the consequences.". And who was Sarkeesian insulted? If she makes critical comments about video games, that's a mortal insult to gamers, warranting extreme harassment?

That's totally what I said. I clearly stated she deserved evil posts, its right there in my...oh wait its NOT!

I just said it's something that has happened to every person who sponsors an opinion that is controversial on the internet, especially if they are someone who has heft in the public arena. You can make a Red-Herring, a Straw-Man, or whatever kind of fallacy you want....but you know what I said is true. And pretend I said something I didn't. Later.

Bunch of misogynists hurling abuse at a woman, because they feel that she is ruining their boys club.

This was what I needed to take your arguments with a pinch of salt.

Let's see:

Calling her a complete con-artist is attacking the messenger, not the message. Her actions point towards an individual who does not shy away from being dishonest if she can make a gain whether it be monetary or for attention. She is both, and I think a lot of people would be able to take the message more at heart if she wasn't behaving so obnoxiusly.

And yes, she is raising awareness, but in a manner that makes a lot of peoples (including womens) gorge rise. That is not the right way of doing it, and is counterproductive a lot of the times.

I could waste more time trying to rebutt the pointless dribble of yours, but then I read this:

"Hot rod magazines and the like are aimed at men. Last time I checked, games are aimed at everybody."

What? You CAN'T be serious. Please tell me you're trolling. If serious, then you are the exact reason why anyone who not already have bait, line and sinker in their belly are keeping this whole circus at more than an arms length.

The only reason I dislike and mistrust Zoe, is because of the way she misrepresents videogames to further her agenda. Some of the stuff she shows in her videos you can do in games, but you are encouraged not to, and its everyone's choice if they want to do it or not. But she never mentions that.

I find that not only unnecessary, because there is enough genuine stuff to show, but it also undermines her own work. Why would you do that? Destroy your credibility for a few cheap shots at the video game industry... you're only hurting yourself more. It just shows stupidity of you ask me.

JRPeyesatsneSmack-Fu Master, in training replyabout 10 hours ago ignore userIn a recent survey by the CDC, 40% of the victims of domestic violence are men. Why have we never seen that in a game? Isn't that sexist too?

When you cherry pick data, you can tell any story you want.

Prefacing this with I get 'someone is wrong on the internet' and the futility of talking to idiots, but I am so tired of this.

First. Source. Give me a link. And not a link to some poor battered men's blog but a link to the CDC. Or the Justice Department, FBI, the UN. I looked and everything I saw reiterated that women are the main targets of domestic abuse AND ALL FORMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE.

Second, if 40% of men are victims of domestic abuse give me a statistic on what percentage suffer the abuse at the hands of a female perpetrator versus a male perpetrator. Women do incredibly horrific things. So do men. Your analysis of the 'statistic' is lacking if you are attempting to use this statistic to demonstrate that women perpetrate just as much physical violence as men.

Third. What the ever lovin' fuck does a statistic on domestic violence have to do with an argument of women being assaulted and threatened and demanded sexually in ways that are publicly accepted while men just are not?

Bunch of misogynists hurling abuse at a woman, because they feel that she is ruining their boys club.

This was what I needed to take your arguments with a pinch of salt.

Let's see:

Calling her a complete con-artist is attacking the messenger, not the message.

In this case the message is under attack, and so is the messenger. And what makes her a "complete con-artist"?

Quote:

Her actions

Such as?

Quote:

I could waste more time trying to rebutt the pointless dribble of yours, but then I read this:

"I could crush your argument but I'm not going to, because reasons"

Quote:

"Hot rod magazines and the like are aimed at men. Last time I checked, games are aimed at everybody."

What? You CAN'T be serious. Please tell me you're trolling.

Trolling about what? Games or magazines?

Quote:

If serious, then you are the exact reason why anyone who not already have bait, line and sinker in their belly are keeping this whole circus at more than an arms length.

The only reason we have this circus is because of some socially inept misogynists who have no idea how to behave in the real world. Rational humans are capable of having rational discussions, even when they disagree. But we are not dealing with rational people. We are dealing with people who threaten with rape and murder because someone said something about video games. Let that sink in for a while.

JRPeyesatsneSmack-Fu Master, in training replyabout 10 hours ago ignore userIn a recent survey by the CDC, 40% of the victims of domestic violence are men. Why have we never seen that in a game? Isn't that sexist too?

When you cherry pick data, you can tell any story you want.

Prefacing this with I get 'someone is wrong on the internet' and the futility of talking to idiots, but I am so tired of this.

First. Source. Give me a link. And not a link to some poor battered men's blog but a link to the CDC. Or the Justice Department, FBI, the UN. I looked and everything I saw reiterated that women are the main targets of domestic abuse AND ALL FORMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE.

Second, if 40% of men are victims of domestic abuse give me a statistic on what percentage suffer the abuse at the hands of a female perpetrator versus a male perpetrator. Women do incredibly horrific things. So do men. Your analysis of the 'statistic' is lacking if you are attempting to use this statistic to demonstrate that women perpetrate just as much physical violence as men.

Third. What the ever lovin' fuck does a statistic on domestic violence have to do with an argument of women being assaulted and threatened and demanded sexually in ways that are publicly accepted while men just are not?

The connection to gaming industry is that Anita Sarkeesian is claiming that video games make people violent and want the censure games. In reality, no such connection has been shown.

Gosh you mean someone posted someone's information on the internet when they didn't like their message? That so crazy! I have never happening to...wait...actually that happens to everyone who makes themselves a controversial public figure since the internet age.

So, what is the "controversy" here? A woman making some comments about video games? Apparently that is such a controversial topic that it warrants threats of rape and murder. I don't know what is sadder here: the threats, or the fact that some people are so gung-ho about fucking video games that they tolerate no critique of them.

Quote:

Ars, I think attacking your main demographic for not sharing your notoriously left leaning opinions is a bad idea. But apparently we're just a bunch of ignorant sexist gamers. As if posting hate messages and private details is because they are gamers, is sophomoric. Any person with some weight in the public arena that publicly insults a group of people will face similar wrath on the internet...be they on the left, the right, or even a vegan.

"She should just keep her pretty little mouth shut, or face the consequences.". And who was Sarkeesian insulted? If she makes critical comments about video games, that's a mortal insult to gamers, warranting extreme harassment?

That's totally what I said. I clearly stated she deserved evil posts, its right there in my...oh wait its NOT!

"Any person with some weight in the public arena that publicly insults a group of people will face similar wrath on the internet...be they on the left, the right, or even a vegan.". That comment implies that what has happened is perfectly normal and expected. It's not.

And I'm still trying to figure out how Sarkeesian has "insulted" gamers. She has critiqued games and stereotypes in them. And that is an "insult" to gamers? What, are games the word of Allah that can't be critiqued? If you do, you should expect death-threats and not complain when you receive them? Jesus Christ people, get a life!

Quote:

I just said it's something that has happened to every person who sponsors an opinion that is controversial on the internet, especially if they are someone who has heft in the public arena. You can make a Red-Herring, a Straw-Man, or whatever kind of fallacy you want....but you know what I said is true. And pretend I said something I didn't. Later.

Sure, abuse happens on the internet. Sadly. And it happens even more if you are a woman. And it's not just the normal abuse that everyone gets, it's abuse that is motivated by their sex.

All communities have some individuals who cannot show respect towards others, but you can try to adjust and avoid the worst places. (Or, avoid multiplayer entirely)

"If women don't want to be harassed, they shouldn't step outside their homes or wear such provocative clothing".

I can see a fusion of strawmen and red herrings emerge, a horrid amalgam of putrid mindsets.

If I behave like an arse on the internet I need to expect reactions from (included but not limited to) normal members of society, angsty teenagers, old people and sociopaths. Disproportionate reactions and threats are not excused, but as with all things you cannot govern anyone, and their reactions can be understood whether it is from malice and trolling, or actual hatred.

Thanks for the opinion piece, this type of article has no place on ars.

-Signed, A woman doing something for how women are perceived instead of playing the victim card like Miss Johnston

You can disagree with the opinion, but not with the facts. Johnston isn't playing any victim card here; there are in fact victims.

Are you saying this is gamer misandry, as opposed to misogyny? That if a man wrote these the same attacks would occur? That had a man wrote Depression Quest he would have been attacked too?

To be clear, a man would get just as much flack for sleeping with people inside the industry as a woman, no one is attacking Miss Quinn for making DQ, rather for her infidelity and how they feel that breaches certain standards of journalistic integrity. If roger elbert (rip) had had romantic relations with famous movie actors/actresses, his integrity and moral standing would be questioned too, would it not?

I feel that's where most of the real criticism lies.

Edit: trying to silence my opinion makes you just as bad as the people Miss Johnston is talking about in this article.

This first page comment is a great example of what's wrong with this entire debate. It makes an obvious insight which anyone should have, but gets downvoted to hell because it doesn't join the echo chamber of just yelling "IF YOU'RE ARGUING AGAINST A WOMAN YOU ARE A SEXIST".

I have to agree with a lot of people who are saying that reporting obvious insincere death threat or a threat of physical violence is an overreaction. However, getting multiple threats persistently overtime that get dismissed by members of the general public as part of the business are extremely distressing.

How can people dismiss the persistent and pervasive threats as trivial? Could it be because they experience many of the threats themselves while playing MMORPGs?

"Ha, ha, I am going to rape you with my superior playing skills","Ha, ha I am going to make you my bitch""You are all a bunch of little girls"

The trash talk in the form of threats of rape, turning someone into a sexualized person who isn't respected or into females who are perceived to be less powerful and dependent is part of their leisure time activity. How can anyone take the trash talk seriously?

The trash talk helps to trivialize the real threats that people like Quinn and Sorkeesian are subjected to. How can you take their distress seriously if you experience what you think is the same thing as part of your leisure time pleasure? I recommend allowing yourself to feel whatever you feel when you think an activity you enjoy is under threat, but then think about what you value. Is dismissing someone's concern about their safety in the face of pervasive, persistent, specific and sometimes very credible threats consistent with your values? If you want to tell someone they are wrong do you want to do it in an atmosphere of violence directed at them or in a safer environment when they might be more receptive to your criticism? Do you want positive change or do you want a fearful opponent?

Thanks to all the gamers who are willing to stand beside those who are harassed even if they don't necessarily agree with them.

The only reason we have this circus is because of some socially inept misogynists who have no idea how to behave in the real world. Rational humans are capable of having rational discussions, even when they disagree. But we are not dealing with rational people. We are dealing with people who threaten with rape and murder because someone said something about video games. Let that sink in for a while.

You're completely backwards about this, that's why I won't waste any more time on your pointless arguments. Take a hard look at what you're writing, this one in particular:

"Hot rod magazines and the like are aimed at men. Last time I checked, games are aimed at everybody."

There are female hotrod enthusiasts, if they made a magazine with a spin for female hotrods, that would be aimed for women.

Just the simple fact that you cannot grasp this (whether it be intentionally or out of sheer ignorance) tells me something about you and that whatever malady you have can be contagious.

I've not heard about this particular internet storm in a tea cup before this article, but I am suspicious. Feminism is a political stance and politics is all about manipulating public opinion. I've been in online games with complete morons before (who hasn't?) but I do wonder about what is being reported as being true here. It is possible that gamers are being demonised and that these death threats originate from the feminist camp itself in order to make its points in the strongest possible way. Many 'militant' (for want of a better word) feminists profess to hate men so it would not be beyond the realm of possibility that this whole thing is a sham. Media organisation then pick it up and report it as fact, public opinion shifts and so eventually does the power.

I am not a fan of watchdogs, or grand theft auto or any other game that treats women in the way that these feminists dislike. I'd rather these games did not exist too. I have seen kids first hand playing chicken across a busy main road like it was the Darwin Awards 'because it happens in GTA'. Some games designers do need to be more responsible with what they are putting out there. Claiming that games are the effectively the last bastion for mysognist white males (as one commenter has done) sure sounds like a racist and sexist claim to me, so people who think this way need to be challenged.

In summary, my view is that games need to grow up a bit, as do some gamers and some games designers - no critiques are really required.

I can see a fusion of strawmen and red herrings emerge, a horrid amalgam of putrid mindsets.

Well that was what you suggested. "Don't want to be harassed? Just adjust your behavior". And if women don't want to get harassed while walking down the street, they shouldn't be walking down the street. Easy! Instead of calling for the harassers to stop their harassment, you are telling the victim that she needs to change.

Quote:

If I behave like an arse on the internet I need to expect reactions from (included but not limited to) normal members of society, angsty teenagers, old people and sociopaths. Disproportionate reactions and threats are not excused, but as with all things you cannot govern anyone, and their reactions can be understood whether it is from malice and trolling, or actual hatred.

How has she been "behaving like an arse"? Said something about video games that some people don't like? And you are still rationalizing the abuse and blaming the victim. Like I said: Stay classy dude.

You keep on telling how she is a "complete con-artist" and "behaving like an arse", but you haven't giuven any examples of this.

The only reason we have this circus is because of some socially inept misogynists who have no idea how to behave in the real world. Rational humans are capable of having rational discussions, even when they disagree. But we are not dealing with rational people. We are dealing with people who threaten with rape and murder because someone said something about video games. Let that sink in for a while.

You're completely backwards about this

Yep, suuuure. And in the end we have a woman receiving extreme harassment because she dared to say something about video games. Yes, really. And you solution to stopping that harassment is that she needs to change her behavior.

Yep, suuuure. And in the end we have a woman receiving extreme harassment because she dared to say something about video games. Yes, really. And you solution to stopping that harassment is that she needs to change her behavior.

She dared to say so in a matter that many may find obnoxious and she's a pussy when it comes to critique. Again, the threats are abhorrent, but she's intentionally fuelling the flames of her "haters", which makes having any sympathy for her hard at best. She could EASILY have presented this in a way that was not intentionally inflammatory, but then again, less attention = less money. Is she afraid that her cause wouldn't have been such a hot topic if she had wanted an actual debate?

Just because she's a woman I won't allow her any slack when it comes to integrity and decency.

The only reason we have this circus is because of some socially inept misogynists who have no idea how to behave in the real world. Rational humans are capable of having rational discussions, even when they disagree. But we are not dealing with rational people. We are dealing with people who threaten with rape and murder because someone said something about video games. Let that sink in for a while.

You're completely backwards about this

Yep, suuuure. And in the end we have a woman receiving extreme harassment because she dared to say something about video games. Yes, really. And you solution to stopping that harassment is that she needs to change her behavior.

People (mostly young men) got angry with a person who lied about their favorite games. Anita doesn't provide any solutions, she just complains about games she's not even playing and she make farfetched claims about the effects about playing games. She is deliberately lying about the game mechanics/goals, just look at the lies she presented in her latest video which included lies about the Hitman game. Check out Thunderf00t's videos on youtube debunking her claims if you need to know more.

Yep, suuuure. And in the end we have a woman receiving extreme harassment because she dared to say something about video games. Yes, really. And you solution to stopping that harassment is that she needs to change her behavior.

She dared to say so in a matter that many may find obnoxious

Anyone could find anything "obnoxious", it does not justify threats of death and murder. Instead of condemning the threats, you keep on condemning the victim. Quite telling, I should say...

Quote:

Again, the threats are abhorrent, but she's intentionally fuelling the flames of her "haters", which makes having any sympathy for her hard at best.

Blame the victim, part III. "If she just behaved in a different manner, this problem would just go away!".

Quote:

She could EASILY have presented this in a way that was not intentionally inflammatory, but then again, less attention = less money.

She should just pussyfoot around the issue? Walk on eggshells, so the basement-dwelling misogynists don't have their feelings hurts? She should just be more demure? More humble? Maybe she should just stick to the kitchen and make those sandwiches, and leave games to the Real Gamers(tm)?

Quote:

Just because she's a woman I won't allow her any slack when it comes to integrity and decency.

You keep on calling her out on those things, yet you fail to present any tangible examples. And yes, she is not above critique just because she's a woman. But we are not talking about "critique" here, are we? We are talking about threats of rape and murder.

Considering entire crapstorm,. trolls won. On both sides. ON both sides plenty people got attention they wanted, started crapstorm they love to watch and are all the time laughing over what they got rolling.

BTW: If you poke trolls in their forums with pointed sharp stick, don't be surprised you get plenty back. That's far different then just minding your business, when being attacked. In the second case, you are victim, in the first case you get what you apparently wanted. Not much sympathy there.

And some posters here are tying hard to create even bigger division then there is. And I would be very careful with labels like "misogynist". You are in danger of abusing hell out of logical fallacies like Ad Hominem, destroying in process your own argument and in the end position. There is also significant chance that you would appear as hypocrite...

Gamers are as heterogeneous group as you can get. Try to portray them and attack them as homogenous group and you will get massive blowback. You may tout their reaction as "victory" for you, but in the end you just did significant harm to the "cause".

Don't do unto others, what you yourself don't like. And that includes attacks, generalization, hate, logical fallacies, and boatload of other crappy things - everything you critics other side of!

[quote="Bicentennial DoucheWell that was what you suggested. "Don't want to be harassed? Just adjust your behavior". And if women don't want to get harassed while walking down the street, they shouldn't be walking down the street. Easy! Instead of calling for the harassers to stop their harassment, you are telling the victim that she needs to change.

How has she been "behaving like an arse"? Said something about video games that some people don't like? And you are still rationalizing the abuse and blaming the victim. Like I said: Stay classy dude.[/quote]

Because the lobby of a multiplayer game is so close to the open street right?

How you can just "mute" that annoying guy on the train that is snoring his balls off. Or block that pig that whistled at you.

Also, Anita is blatantly ignoring any criticism, so the internet is answering in kind. Neither parts are better than the other. That's not "don't dress a way if a don't want to get harassed", it's closer to "Don't poke a tiger with a stick if you want to have your face intact". Both parts are to blame, if you can't see that then I don't see any hope for you.

"Ha, ha, I am going to rape you with my superior playing skills","Ha, ha I am going to make you my bitch""You are all a bunch of little girls"

Dickhead.

What? Did you read my post? Are you disagreeing with my characterization of trash talk or do you think I engage in it?

I was trying to address a possible cause for the trivialization of the complaints against harassment. Isn't that your position as well?

If you think that the concern over the harassment is overblown then your use of a vulgar and phallic term like "dickhead" is consistent. If you agree with me that it is cause for concern and should not be tirivialize then you probably should find a less phallic and vulgar way of criticizing me.

"Ha, ha, I am going to rape you with my superior playing skills","Ha, ha I am going to make you my bitch""You are all a bunch of little girls"

Dickhead.

What? Did you read my post? Are you disagreeing with my characterization of trash talk or do you think I engage in it?

I was trying to address a possible cause for the trivialization of the complaints against harassment. Isn't that your position as well?

If you think that the concern over the harassment is overblown then your use of a vulgar and phallic term like "dickhead" is consistent. If you agree with me that it is cause for concern and should not be tirivialize then you probably should find a less phallic and vulgar way of criticizing me.

It's funny how most comments I read on the swatting story said the police could do nothing but respond with a SWAT team to the fake hostage situation, yet dismiss the threats made against Anita and her family as "clearly fake" and not meriting any action.

THOSE IDIOTS POSTED HER ADDRESS AND HER FAMILY'S ADDRESS ONLINE, AMID DISGUSTING INSULTS AND DISTURBING THREATS OF PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND DEATH. Whatever you think of the contents of her videos, could you PLEASE stop with the victim-blaming for a minute? Thanks.

No. A sentence or two explaining the reason you are attempting to insult me would be better. I don't know understand your reaction to my post. Did you read it? What was I trying to say? What do you find objectionable?

You can't tell from my gender neutral user id, but I am female. Does that change how you would interact with me? Would you feel as comfortable using words like "dickhead" and "pussy"? I don't take suggestions like I might be female as an insult. I am mostly interested in your feedback on the point I was trying to make. What is generally know as rape culture might be part of the reason some people trivialize the threats directed at critics of sexism in gaming.

The only reason we have this circus is because of some socially inept misogynists who have no idea how to behave in the real world. Rational humans are capable of having rational discussions, even when they disagree. But we are not dealing with rational people. We are dealing with people who threaten with rape and murder because someone said something about video games. Let that sink in for a while.

You're completely backwards about this

Yep, suuuure. And in the end we have a woman receiving extreme harassment because she dared to say something about video games. Yes, really. And you solution to stopping that harassment is that she needs to change her behavior.

People (mostly young men) got angry with a person who lied about their favorite games. Anita doesn't provide any solutions, she just complains about games she's not even playing and she make farfetched claims about the effects about playing games. She is deliberately lying about the game mechanics/goals, just look at the lies she presented in her latest video which included lies about the Hitman game. Check out Thunderf00t's videos on youtube debunking her claims if you need to know more.

I haven't seen those videos, I might check them out. And you know what? That would be GOOD counter-critique towards her. But the issue are not those videos, are they? No, the issue is the threat of rape and murder. If you disagree with someone, the correct thing is to present counterarguments (like apparently done on those Thunderf00t videos). what is the WRONG thing to do? Threaten with rape and murder. This is such elementary stuff, that I'm dismayed that some people need to have this told to them.

And critics don't often provide solutions, they shine light on the problems. When a movie is critiqued, the critic doesn't usually tell how the movie should have been done, but they do tell what is wrong with it. You CAN offer critique without also offering solutions.

And lets assume the worst: that she knowingly lied about some videogames for some selfish reasons. You know what? That _still_ doesn't justify threats of rape and murder.

Legitimate criticism of Anita Sarkeesian has little to do with her gender and a hell of a lot more to do with shoddy methods, lack of citation, blatant cherry-picking of data, and her lack of any real two-way dialog with people who respectfully disagree with her.

There is also the blatant dishonesty where she claims she has been a 'gamer for years' to give the impression of an 'insiders account' when in reality she stole other peoples content without citations/credits to those people, employ the most shoddy of methodologies that would make someone like me (who has studied gender studies at university) shocked that so many have jumped to her defence and now we have her claim death threats from a twitter account that has already been picked apart by TumblrInAction on Reddit that the credibility is almost zero (she created the account, sent the messages and now playing the victim) - that doesn't even touch on the fact that this yet another 'get rich quick' schemes she has been involved in and this time she has pandered to the right people willing to throw her money (check out how much was donated and how much her costs were - a good pay day if you ask me). What astounds me more is the fact that anyone is giving her any air time because quite frankly I'd sooner hear from the 'Democrats for Social Credit' than listen to a recap of some 'guardian of the women folk' says online.

No, please. You cannot write that a person has done good research when you, yourself, have not. Its too ironic.

When you write that the personal life of Quinn is off the table when talking about her professionally, you NEED to do your research before you spread your bias. InternetAristocrat did an in-depth about why her personal life IS public discussion; TL;DR bad ethics and shady dealings make it so: Here

And when you talk about Sarkeesian and her "well researched" prapaganda you should look into it a little deeper. Thunderf00t has debunked her brand of misrepresentation multiple times: Here

So again I beg of you, do not spread misinformation like everyone else. Dont jsut accept the narrative you find comfortable. Do your own research and make up your own mind.

Because the lobby of a multiplayer game is so close to the open street right?

Gaming is a mainstream-activity done by millions of people. But apparently women should just stay away from it. If they do take part, and get abused, it's their fault, since they could have just avoided gaming.

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Also, Anita is blatantly ignoring any criticism, so the internet is answering in kind.

With threats of rape and murder? And that is "answering in kind"?

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Neither parts are better than the other.

Only one party is threatening to physically harm the other. So yes, one of the parties is better than the other.

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That's not "don't dress a way if a don't want to get harassed", it's closer to "Don't poke a tiger with a stick if you want to have your face intact". Both parts are to blame, if you can't see that then I don't see any hope for you.